Terra Mutabilis
by WonderOfMarvels
Summary: Finding their soulmate in the middle of the Canadian wilderness was the last thing Steve and Bucky expected. Discovering she's led a life of isolation and deprivation has the super soldiers wanting to make sure it never happens again. But when someone from her past appears, it will shake the very foundation of the trio's bond. Soulmate/Soul-mark fic. Polyamory. AU from CA:WS.
1. Wildness and Wilderness

**A/N: Hello all, this is my second story attempted in the MCU. Obviously I own nothing that you recognize. Beth and all OCs are mine however. This is a polyamory fic so if that isn't your cup of tea, please consider before continuing on. I'm also trying my hand at the soulmate/soul-mark universe I've read a few stories in b/c it fascinates me. Canon compliant up to CA:WS. AU in that Bucky was found prior to CA:CW and integrated into the Avengers.** ** **Please read and review.** I haven't really written anything seriously for a few years now and I know there's things I've missed, strings I've left dangling, but I'm so happy to finally have a Muse who's sticking around this time I just have to get it out while She's still around. Any constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks for reading!  
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* * *

The last thing Steve expected to see while out training in the Canadian woods with Bucky and Tony was the ground reshaping itself underneath their feet.

They'd been out training in small groups for a week after their last mission had gone less than smoothly. Bucky didn't have the same well practiced integration with the rest of the team and tended to 'go rogue' as Natasha put it.

Steve and Bucky were paired up trying to take down Tony, who had full use of his suit. As Steve ran, he mentally tried to find an explanation for the terrain changes. The area Tony had chosen wasn't anywhere near an earthquake fault line or boggy area. This instability - it was simply… bizarre.

As the ground shifted and changed, Steve struggled to keep his footing. Bucky seemed to be having the same issue.

"Hey, Stark, we've got a problem. Terrain's changing on us." Bucky's voice was labored with his breathing as he ran, trying to get to stable ground.

"Yeah, I know. I'm having my own problems with it." Tony's voice came over the comm in Steve's ear and Steve could tell by his tone that Stark was frustrated with something.

"What's going on Tony? Where are you at - " Steve was jerked to a stop as the ground opened up underneath him and he fell three feet down into a hole in the earth. Whipping his head to the right, he saw Bucky in a similar predicament. Placing his hands on the sides of the hole, Steve attempted to push himself up but the ground, which had previously been malleable and motile, had suddenly solidified - rendering him completely immobile from the waist down.

Looking up to the trees, his mouth fell open in shock.

"Uh guys, anyone notice the trees are alive?! Er- well, more so than normal?!" Tony was suspended 30 feet in the air, struggling against thick vines that had wrapped around him and was attempting to sear them off with all the firepower he could use without injuring Steve or Bucky who were still well within range but more and more of the thick, rope-like vines wrapped around his arms and legs.

Steve continued to struggle until he felt his soul-mark begin to warm underneath his suit and he looked wildly over to Bucky, whose own eyes had popped wide at the sudden sensation on his own chest. With shaking hands, Steve pulled down the top part of his suit and looked suddenly on the vibrant green knots and scroll work that formed a triquetra over and around his soul-mark's own half circle and Bucky's half circle.

"Bucky?" Steve's voice shook. He and Bucky had known they were missing someone who would complete their soulmate bond because of the blackened ring that ran all along the outside of each of their soul-marks but they had never found who that missing person was. Bucky had suggested they might be dead since they'd been 'on hiatus' for decades and Steve had had to agree with him at the time.

"I know, punk. I know." Bucky's voice wasn't so steady either.

"Uh, guys, still stuck in a tree here. Spangles, you done playing strip training and care to give me a hand?" Tony's voice broke through the muddle of Steve's thoughts and he was about to say something when Bucky's breath caught and drew Steve's attention to the ground below Tony's feet.

A woman stood there, shadowed by the trees, her silhouette fading into the backdrop of greens and browns behind her.

Her hair was long and dark and her clothing appeared to change color with the light filtering through the canopy overhead.

Stepping forward, she gestured to the vines holding Tony aloft. They gently eased him back to the ground before unwrapping themselves from his limbs. A flick of her fingers had Bucky and Steve rising out of the earth that encased them. When Steve's boots were completely out, he looked down. There was no sign the earth had ever held a person. Grass and other lichen grew under his foot as if it had always been that way.

Steve looked to the woman and began to examine her for details for he was certain, _this_ was the person who had completed his soul-mark.

She was small; the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. Her hair was indeed long and dark, several differing hues of brown, which complemented her warm brown skin. She was wearing a muted colored tunic that came to mid-thigh along with dark brown leggings and her feet were bare. Steve's eyes ran over her quickly, assessing, cataloging things for future review when they finally came to rest on hers. The woman's eyes were bright green and they stared into Steve's blue ones as if they could see into his soul.

"You –", she pointed at Steve. "You're one of the two. Who is the other?" Her voice was husky but smooth as she spoke, glancing at Bucky and Tony who had removed his face plate to stare at her.

"That'd be me, doll." Steve let a half smile creep out. Trust Bucky to step into the fray when they didn't know what they were facing. "I'm James, but you can call me Bucky. That's Steve over there, but I always call him Stevie." The smile on Bucky's face, along with the wink he sent the woman had the effect he'd intended. She smiled in reflex as he stepped towards her and then looked at Tony.

"Who are you?" The question was softly asked but both super soldiers could feel something heavy in the air. "Why were they chasing you?"

"Seriously - you don't know me? Ironman? Hello? Tony Stark, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist? Any of this ringing any bells?" Tony seemed quite put out that he wasn't recognized on the spot.

"Ah - yes... well I'd heard about you on the radio but as I don't own a TV, I've never seen your likeness before. Why were they chasing you?" She asked again, this time with more force, almost threatening.

"Training exercise, doll. Trying to get us all to work better together." Bucky spoke again, moving closer to Steve, alarmed at the sudden fierceness she was directing at Tony.

"I see. Well then, if you say so... James." She smiled as she said Bucky's name and the heaviness in the air dissipated. Turning her back on Tony, she walked over to the boys who had come to stand side by side a few feet in front of her, effectively dismissing Tony from her attention.

Reaching up to the tie at the top of the tunic she wore, she undid the knot and pulled it down, almost baring a breast to show the entirety of her soul-mark. It was exactly the same as theirs; A vibrant green triquetra surrounding 2 matching half-circles, one with swirls of red and blue and the other with of bursts of yellow on a red background.

"Show me? _Please._ " The urgency in her voice touched something in the two men and left them with questions but they did as she asked.

Steve obligingly pulled his suit down to show her the matching soul-mark on his own left pectoral above his heart. Bucky did the same and she sighed, a soft breeze drifted through the clearing where they stood.

Pulling her tunic back up, she retied the knot. "I'm Beth, which is short for Elisabeth. Nice to finally meet you two."

Beth gave a dazzling smile and reached out her hands to the boys. "Come with me. We have much to talk about. You too Iron man." When both Bucky and Steve had pulled their suits back into place, she turned, grabbing Steve's left hand since his shield was still on his back and Bucky's right hand and began to lead them back into the woods where she had emerged from.

Tony, who had been having JARVIS catalogue everything about the woman, was miffed that he was regulated to third wheel – no, fourth wheel status but followed, albeit from the air.

As they walked, Bucky looked down at the woman who was holding his hand. It had been decades since a woman had held his hand with any familiarity and he swore he could feel warmth seep into him from the connection.

They came to a large clearing with a small cabin at the center. Smoke curled up from the chimney and a delicious odor wafted out of the open window.

Following Beth inside, Steve instinctively looked for a mat to wipe his boots on but there wasn't one. The floor of the cabin was dirt... hard packed dirt that was easily swept. Bucky glanced at him seeing his confusion and, looking down, grinned in realization. "There's no worry about tracking dirt in here Punk."

Tony walked in behind the two super soldiers and took in his surroundings. The cabin was small by his standards but large enough to hold maybe 5 people at once with a large living and cooking area on the main floor and a smaller, sleeping loft suspended above the kitchen.

The woman, Beth, gestured for them to seat themselves at the wide oak table that delineated the space between kitchen and living room. She bent over and pulled a dish from the oven, turning it off as she shut the door. So _that_ had been what smelled so delicious. Setting it on the counter to cool, she came and sat down across from the men who ringed her table.

"So, you're my soulmates." Beth's voice was soft and her eyes gleamed with emotion as she ran them over each of the men in turn.

"Uh, nope. Not me. Sorry, babe, I'm already taken. I know it'll break your heart." Tony's sarcasm broke her gaze from the others and directed it towards him. "As much as I'd love to stay for this love fest, I have my own soulmate who's expecting me for dinner. Beth, was it? Thanks for not keeping me hangin'. Cap, IcePick, see you back at the tower… whenever." Tony wiggled eyebrows suggestively as he said 'whenever' and was out the door before anyone at the table could form a reply.

"And that's Tony…" Steve's voice held a note of chagrin but Bucky noticed he'd relaxed as soon as he heard Tony take off into the darkening sky.

Beth smiled at the two of them as if removing Tony's presence had freed something within her. "Oh, I'm so happy to finally meet you! You have no idea how long I've waited for this." She stopped and placed her hands over her heart. "My heart's too full for words."

Bucky smiled. "So Beth, I'm guessing since you have heard of Iron man that you've heard of Captain America?"

Steve's gaze shot to Bucky's. _Going in feet first I see._

Beth chuckled. "Yes, and I know what you're about to say. The shield Steve carries has been pictured many times in the history books." She turned to meet Steve's eyes. "Hello, Captain."

The husky voice addressing him with his rank had a thrill run down Steve's spine, pooling between his legs, and he glanced at Bucky.

"Well if you know who am I, do I assume too much in supposing you already know who Bucky is?" Steve's voice held a note of caution as he watched Beth closely for her reaction.

"He's Bucky Barnes also known as the Winter Soldier if that's what you're asking." Beth's smile made her eyes squint as she looked with affection at Bucky. "I may not have a TV out here but I do have a radio." She motioned to the ancient radio and antennae over in the corner by the fireplace. "I heard all about your hearing before Congress and other debates on whether or not to charge you with treason but given the evidence produced that Hydra was behind it, I was glad when they decided to not charge you."

She turned back to Steve and answered his unspoken question. "It stood to reason that if I had Captain America in front of me and the person beside him was Bucky, that it was same person that I'd heard about on the radio."

"Now, since Tony has departed truly, let's have something to eat and we can ask each other the questions I know I'm at least dying to ask."

Beth rose and turned to the cooling casserole dish on the counter. "Either of you picky eaters?"

"Can – can we talk first? My stomach's doing so many flips, I don't know how well I'll be able to eat." Steve's voice caught and he swallowed as she turned back to the two of them.

"Of course." She opened the oven back up and placed the casserole back in the still warm oven.

"How-"  
"What-"

Both Steve and Bucky's words collided with each other in mid-air and they stopped, grinning at each other.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Bucky held out a loose fist and Steve did the same. They had begun to count when a smaller fist joined theirs.

Green eyes met two pairs of blue and they sparkled with amusement. "It's only fair. I have questions too, boys."

Bucky let out a chuckle and resumed the count. "1, 2, 3!"

He won and smirked at Steve. Turning to Beth, he made a 'come here' motion and she walked over to sit on the table top between both boys.

"How did you know where we were in the woods? You can manipulate the earth, can't you?"

Beth nodded. "Yes, I'm able to influence the earth. The ground told me you were coming and the trees told me something large was flying through the trees without care for those within. I intervened to stop you all before I realized who you were." She blushed as she touched the place over her heart where her soul-mark was hidden under her tunic.

"I'm sorry for trapping you but it seemed the best option until I could be certain you weren't here to hurt me."

"What? Who would be trying to hurt you?" Steve snapped into protector mode and made to rise but was stopped by a soft hand on his face. Rubbing a thumb along his cheek, Beth smiled. "I'm fine Steve. No need to look so fierce."

Steve sat back, bringing the small hand on his cheek that was spreading warmth into parts of his soul he'd thought would stay long frozen down into the protective circle of his hands. "My turn. What are you doing out here in this remote area? Why are you alone? We chose this area for training because there were no records of anyone living for hundreds of miles."

Something flickered in the back of Beth's eyes and she looked down. "As I'm sure you're aware, not everyone is comfortable with people they know having supernatural powers. I like my solitude; I've had time to get used to it. I'm quite comfortable here. The land provides me with all I need."

Bucky's jaw set as he read between the lines. "They ostracized you for your gift. Didn't they?"

Beth nodded once, staring at a spot on the floor. "People always fear what they do not know. I was six when my powers started to manifest. My parents wanted to put me in an institution but my grandmother stopped them. I lived with her until she died when I was seventeen. She was the only one who understood, who loved me without being afraid of me. She was the one who kept telling me I had a special bond with the Earth Mother and that our people had lost their magic because of the white man's temptations and that was why they rejected me. They forgot they were Earth Mother's children too."

"My grandmother was a Lakota Sioux Indian. She taught me about the Earth Mother and the balance of all things in life. She helped me find safe areas to experiment with my powers until I was able to control them. I'm much better now. I knew you were approaching far before you got anywhere close to me." Beth chuckled.

She fell silent and looking up, saw both men looking at her expectantly. "Oh! It's my turn to ask a question now isn't it?" Turning contemplative, her brows drew in towards her nose as she thought.

"What are your expectations of me as your soulmate?"

The soft question sank into Steve and he squeezed Beth's hands.

"Whatever you're willing to give, darling. We'll never ask for more than that."

"That's not to say we don't have wants..." Bucky grinned and winked.

"Buck!" Steve flushed from his neck up and the sight had Beth laughing out loud.

"Well, Steve that's very sweet to say and Bucky, I can't say I'm surprised you went there." A rosy color was flooding her cheeks and removing one of her hands from Steve's grasp, caught hold of Bucky's right hand. "What I meant was, do you expect us to live together? Be sexually involved?"

"I know from other's experiences that some people don't always have the same expectations when they meet their soulmate. My grandmother told me that when my aunt met hers, he didn't want intimacy, just a regular outlet for his... relief." Uneasiness filtered into Beth's voice. "I have heard from the radio about incidents where soulmates have chosen to live apart because they couldn't stand habits their soulmate had acquired prior to meeting but that the pain was tremendous."

"I- I want, I mean, I would personally like to know what your expectations are before we truly get to know one another. Just so- in case, we don't - we don't have the same ideas about one another." Beth's voice faltered as she spoke and she stared at the floor, her fingers leaving the boys' hands and coming to twist together in front of her.

Bucky looked at Steve over Beth's head, silently having a conversation with the other man.

Reaching out, Bucky tilted her chin up to look at him. "Doll, I know I speak for both Stevie and myself when I say, we have gone too long with that third of our soul that was you. We'd like to be near or with you for as long as you'll let us. If you're okay living together, we can do that. Stevie and I live together at the Avenger's tower in New York but if you're uncomfortable there, we will talk about relocating. As for sexually... " Bucky's voice trailed off and Steve jumped in.

"Bucky and I have been sexually involved since we were teenagers. If that's not something you're interested in, that's okay. It doesn't have to be that way between the three of us. Like I said before, we'll never ask for more than you're willing to give. Ever."

Beth had turned her head to look up at Steve from under her lashes and she let out a shuddering sigh as he finished speaking.

"Doll, why don't you tell us what you'd like from the two of us and we can start figuring out preliminary boundaries?" Bucky spoke softly as he ran the backs of his fingers down Beth's arm in a soothing motion.

"I... I want to be near you both. As close to always as possible. I've felt like I've carried this hole around in my soul for so many years... I never thought I'd ever find my soulmates. I knew that I'd cut myself off from that when I came to live here but... now that I've got you... Please don't leave me. Please. I-"

Beth cut off her words as a sob caught in her throat. Swallowing it down, she reached out to both men again, grasping their hands like lifelines. Gathering control again, she continued.

 _"I just want a family."_

The words shot through Steve and Bucky like one of Clint's arrows and they moved as one- both engulfing the woman between them in a tight hug.

Steve kissed the top of Beth's head as he looked at Bucky with suppressed emotion in his eyes. "So do we doll. So do we."


	2. Decisions and Pigeons

Tony hadn't wasted any time once returning to the tower to have JARVIS run a background check on Nature lady, Beth or whatever her name was. As he made his way back up to his penthouse, he told JARVIS to alert him if the two super soldiers moved from their last known location. He wanted lead time before they came home. If they came home tonight…

Tony smiled. He remembered when he and Pepper had first met. They had stayed locked up in his Malibu mansion for two weeks before he'd finally felt like he could come up for air and let their normal lives resume again.

As the elevator doors opened, Pepper came out of the bedroom and rushed to kiss him.

"Tony! I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow!" Her touch both calmed and enflamed him as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I know. Something came up. I came home early." Placing kisses on her neck, he stopped to nibble on the spot behind her left ear that always made her go weak in the knees.

"Mmm… ah… yes. Wait, what?" Pepper pushed Tony's head up to look at her. "What came up?" The skepticism in her voice was evident.

"You better not have abandoned Steve and James in the wilderness again!" She glared at her lover who merely grinned at her.

"Oh, come on. That was one time! I was grieving my mother! I'm not responsible for things I do when overcome by strong emotion and I can think of one emotion I'm succumbing to right now…" He began to try and kiss Pepper's neck again but a firm shove had him reeling back.

"Explain. Then bed… Maybe." The redhead's tone brooked no argument from Tony.

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "JARVIS? Inform Pep of what happened… the abridged version please."

"Ms. Potts, Captain Rogers and Lieutenant Barnes discovered their soulmate whilst out in the woods. They remained behind after Mr. Stark left, presumably to get to know her."

The heat was fading from Pepper's eyes and Tony leapt at his chance. "So bed? Yes?"

Shaking her head ruefully, Pepper's laugh bounced off the walls as Tony swept her off her feet and into the bedroom.

* * *

Back at the cabin, after disentangling themselves, Beth had served them all dinner and they'd eaten in relative silence; all of them gazing at their newfound soulmate(s), drinking in the details of each other's physical appearances.

As the sun began to set, Beth yawned and stretched. Bucky looked at Steve and had another silent conversation but this time Beth noticed.

"What? I see that look, James. What are you silently arguing with Steve about?" Beth's voice held curiosity and a hint of laughter.

Steve cleared his throat. "We'll be sleeping down here tonight if that's okay with you Beth. _We_ don't want to rush into anything."

Catching the emphasis on 'we', Beth glanced at Bucky who wore a look of stubbornness on his face.

"It should be her decision, Stevie. It's her house."

Beth's eyebrows rose. "What should be my decision?"

Bucky looked at her and sudden color flooded his cheeks. "Um, well… I was going to ask if we could all stay together tonight."

"Nothing sexual!" he added, as he saw Beth's face morph into a look of apprehension. "I just… I only sleep well with Stevie and, well…" Bucky's voice trailed off as he shrugged helplessly.

Beth smiled and came over to Bucky. Tentatively, she slipped her arms around his middle and, when he showed no signs of resisting, hugged him close, nestling her brow in the hollow of his neck.

"Okay but no funny business." She glanced at Steve who was watching her with concern and winked at him.

Steve relaxed and glanced about for a ladder to climb up to make sure the loft was sound enough to hold both super soldiers.

Beth saw his confusion and waved a hand at the wall near the fireplace. Small, sturdy steps seemed to slide out of the wooden walls and lead to the loft at the apex of the house.

She laughed when she saw the disbelieving expression on Steve's face as he set one foot on the first tread. "It'll hold you Steve. Trust me."

He slowly climbed up to the loft and began to walk around, in a crouch, to see if there were any structural issues. As he came back to the steps, he tried to straighten up and hit his head on a rafter.

"Ouch! Okay, well I think it'll hold us for tonight at least. If you don't want to go back to New York Beth, we'll have to figure out other sleeping arrangements. Not being able to stand up straight from the bed won't work for me long term." Steve rubbed his head gingerly.

Beth giggled and, stepping out of Bucky's embrace, pulled Steve's head down to kiss the spot he'd hurt.

"There. All better." She winked and went to show the boys where the bathroom door was hidden, cleverly concealed by the stonework next to the kitchen.

After finishing their absolutions, the men pealed themselves out of their suits and left them draped over the back of the couch. Clad in only their boxer-briefs, they made the way up the steps to the loft bedroom. Crouching to make it to the bed, Steve moved aside for Bucky to join him when he looked up towards the bed and froze.

A muttered, "oh fuck" came from Bucky as he stepped off the ladder and did the same.

Beth was kneeling in the center of the low bed, braiding her long hair over her shoulder, with her back to them, completely naked. She was humming a low tune as her fingers flew in and out. When she heard the whispered curse, she glanced over her shoulder as she kept braiding.

"You okay, James?"

Bucky swallowed hard, tried to speak and cleared his throat to try again.

"Uh, yeah, doll. Just, just wasn't expecting…" His voice trailed off and he looked to Steve for support.

"We were just surprised. That's all." Steve said as his own voice came back to him.

Beth half turned, at the waist, as she finished the long plait, and took in the stances and expressions of both men. "Oh! I'm sorry. I can put something on. I'm just… used to being alone." She scooted to the edge of the bed in the direction of a chest that was tucked against the floor and the low angle of a rafter.

"If you want both of us able to actually sleep tonight, that'd be a good idea," said Bucky, as he regained a measure of composure. "I'd be hard pressed to keep my hands from wandering." He winked at Beth so she understood he was joking, sort of.

Beth smiled and pulled out a faded grey nightgown and slipped it over her head. As it fell, both men stared unabashedly at the body it was starting to cover. Full, round breasts, a smooth expanse of stomach and back, curving hips and firm thighs; it was enough to make both men's minds go straight to X-rated fantasies.

Steve crawled up the bed and slid between the sheets on the left side. Beth turned as she watched him do this and slid right next to him. Patting the empty space on her right side, she gestured for Bucky to join them.

Turning towards Steve, Beth moved until her head rested on his chest and she felt Bucky move in behind her. She could feel the hesitancy in his movements as his arm came to wrap around her and his body became flush with hers, spooning. Reaching out for Steve's hand, she interlaced their fingers.

"Goodnight dear hearts." As Beth's words drifted over them, both men felt contentment seeping into their bones and they fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Beth's eyes opened slowly. For the first time in years, her sleep had been uninterrupted by nightmares. She stretched herself slowly and realized that sometime during the night, she'd switched positions. She was now laying on Bucky's chest and the hard body behind hers that she felt must be Steve's. Glancing up, she saw Bucky's eyes open and look down at her.

"Morning, beautiful." His voice was husky with sleep but she could see what he wanted in his eyes.

Propping herself onto her elbow, she leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss. Beth felt his lips trembling slightly beneath her own and she parted her lips to let her tongue glide over his in invitation.

Bucky may have been nervous about kissing Beth with Steve still asleep but the moment he felt her tongue touch his lips, his brain stopped thinking and instinct kicked in. Closing his eyes, he let his tongue glide out and dance with hers in a delicious tango. He knew he hadn't lost his touch when he heard a moan from her throat and a hand came up to pull his head toward her more firmly.

Beth's head was reeling. Kissing her soulmate was something she'd been fantasizing about since she was 14 and realized what soulmates usually entailed. She hadn't had any opportunities to practice given her grandmother's strict orders to keep away from others until she managed to control her power.

She was about to pull back when she felt an arm slide around her middle and reach up to cup a breast, teasing the nipple under the flannel to a hard point. Steve's lips found her neck and he began to explore the topography made available to him by kissing and licking his way up her neck to her ear where he found that nibbling on the lobe caused a groan of lust to emanate from Beth's captured lips.

Bucky's eyes opened, took in what his lover was doing to their soulmate, and redoubled his own efforts on the oral front.

Beth let both of them continue for another long, exquisite moment and then pulled back from Bucky with a gasp for air.

"Okay, you two. That's a wonderful way to wake up, however – I need to pee. Let me up, please." The last was added as she felt Steve's arm tighten around her middle before loosening enough to where she could shimmy to the foot of the bed and dropped off the edge into the living room.

Hearing the exclamations from above, she glanced up at the two concerned faces looking down on her. She laughed and made to way to the bathroom.

As she exited, she found both men had come down and were in the process of putting their uniforms back on.

Steve and Bucky had had a quiet conversation while Beth had been in the restroom about checking in with Tony and what had to be done within the next few hours. They watched as their final puzzle piece climbed the stairs to the loft again and disappeared, ostensibly to put her own clothes on.

"So I'll contact Stark and you discuss our options with Beth." Bucky started towards the door. "I'll be back in a few."

Steve nodded and went to the kitchen to see if there was any of his usual morning beverage. His heart drooped a bit when he realized there was no coffee of any sort in the entire kitchen.

Sighing, he turned and saw Beth setting a bag onto the kitchen table.

"Okay, I'm ready to go Steve." Beth's voice was steady but Steve thought he could detect a note of worry in her voice.

"What-?" Steve was stopped as Beth spoke again.

"I expect you two have to report back soon. I meant what I said last night. I don't want to be parted from either of you unless absolutely necessary. So I've packed all I'll need and am ready to go wherever it is you need to go." Beth's voice was confident now, no trace of the earlier worry.

"But we- I mean, we don't expect you to just up and leave here for us. I- we were going to talk this out and come to a decision together." Incredulity was stamped on Steve's features and his prepared talking points flew right out of his head.

Beth gestured to the cabin. "Why would I stay? Yes, this is nice but I've been _alone_ here, Steve, for many years. I have no desire to stay here a single night without you two and I know enough of the world to know I can't ask superheroes to give up their day jobs for me. Now, do you have any other comments before we leave?"

Steve's mouth was hanging open slightly and quickly shut it as Bucky came back in.

"So Stark says he needs us back by 0930 to 'debrief'." Bucky rolled his eyes and grinned. "Like I'm going to give him all the salacious details he's hoping for. Better chance of Stevie here dressing up like a monkey and playing music for money."

"What's up with the bag, doll?" Beth opened her mouth to respond but Steve was one step ahead of her.

"She says we don't need to discuss it. She's coming back to the tower with us." Steve looked at Bucky with a plea that Bucky read and ignored.

"Decisive! I knew I liked you doll. I hate dames who can't make their minds up and dither dather around for hours." Bucky threw an arm around Beth's shoulders and hugged her close. Dropping his head close to Beth's ear, he stage-whispered, "Stevie here, he can't make a decision without making a pro/con list, even if it's just in his head."

Steve flushed red and Beth smiled, linking her fingers with the hand that Bucky had resting on her shoulder.

"So, when do we leave?"

* * *

Steve wasn't sure whether to be grateful that Natasha was the one to pick them up or not. Upon being introduced, the red-headed assassin had given Beth a once-over and then proceeded to instruct the smaller woman on the safety procedures for the hovercraft.

After ensuring Beth's bag was stowed safely, Natasha went back to the controls and left the boys to find seats for themselves.

As they took off from the ground, both men kept an eye on Beth's reactions. Up until take-off, Beth had appeared to be fine but when the engines began to power up, she had grown paler until she was almost grey underneath her dark skin.

"Doll, you okay?" Bucky's voice was filled with concern and Beth's green eyes flicked to his blue ones.

"Yeah, I think so. I've never flown before. This – is a gut churning experience." Beth swallowed and concentrated on breathing steadily, in and out, in and out.

"Ah! It's been awhile since my first flight but I remember they said that take-off and landing were always the worst parts." Steve attempted to reassure her but he could tell he wasn't very effective.

Bucky undid his safety harness and went to sit in a seat directly across from Beth. Placing his elbows on his knees, he dropped his head until his eyes were level with hers and he began to breathe with her, slowly - in and out, never breaking eye contact.

Slowly, Beth began to feel her body calm and Steve was relieved to see color coming back into her face.

"Thank you James. I don't know how that helped, but it did." Beth let a wan smile touch her lips. "How much longer are we in the air?"

"About 2 hours," came Natasha's voice from the cockpit.

Beth closed her eyes. This was going to be a long flight.

* * *

Their arrival to the tower was quieter than Steve expected. He'd been anticipating Stark pouncing on them the minute they'd landed but once on the helipad, Clint came on board to help ready the jet to depart again and told them Tony had been ensconced in his lab with Bruce since the early morning.

Steve led the way off the helipad towards the elevator when he heard a soft 'whump' behind him and found Bucky kneeling next to Beth, who had collapsed at the foot of the loading ramp. Bucky was frantically fumbling with his gloves, trying to pull them off to check for a pulse, but it was Natasha who appeared, silent and quick, and felt for the other woman's heart rate.

Steve was by their sides in an instant, gathering Beth into his arms, looking at Natasha for any indication she know what had befallen their soulmate.

Natasha shook her head in answer to his unspoken question. "She's got a pulse but it's thready at best. You should take her down to Bruce and Tony. They'll be best equipped to help her.

Nodding, Steve rose in one fluid motion, followed closely by Bucky. Bucky punched the elevator button with more force than necessary and it cracked the metal around the column.

JARVIS' voice came through the intercom once they stepped into the elevator.

"Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are aware that you will arriving momentarily and they are aware of the status of Ms. WhiteRaven."

WhiteRaven? Steve looked at Bucky confused for an instant before understanding dawned. That _ass_. Digging up dirt on _their_ soulmate! They hadn't even gotten to really get to know Beth and already Tony was intruding into what should be private discoveries. If Steve didn't need his and Bruce's help right now, he'd take it out on Stark dummy in the training room.

The elevator doors opened onto the lab and both men rushed forward with their precious bundle and deposited her on the table that Bruce had waiting.

Bruce began scan Beth with a handheld device and expressed concern when the details the machine was reading, appeared hovering above the woman.

"Something is causing her body to revert into a catatonic state. When did this start?" Bruce looked at both men.

Bucky spoke, his voice rough with unsaid emotion. "As soon as her foot touched the helipad, she went down. She didn't make a sound, nothing that told me she was ill."

"Hmm." Bruce began scanning her again with the device. "This may take a moment."

Tony walked in from another area of the lab and affected surprise at the scene in front of him. "Oh! Spangles, you're back! What happened to mother nature? She faint from the sheer amazingness of my tower?"

The cocky grin was wiped off Tony's face as Steve turned to him and flexed his fist, as if he wanted to strike Stark.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't know it was serious. Here, let me through. I can help. I can always help." He sidled around Rogers and made his way to Bruce's side and began flipping through the diagnostic information that still hovered over Beth in hologram form.

"Hmm, the minute she was off the quinjet... hmm... yes, interesting. We'll have to look into that later..." Suddenly, Tony stopped dead still, as if he'd been struck by lightening.

"JARVIS?!" Tony's voice yelled out, startling all the men around him with it's intensity. "Turn off the anti-pigeon sonar!"

"Yes, sir. Done."

As soon as JARVIS said 'done', Beth let out a gasp of deep air and sat up abruptly. Well, she tried to sit up but found herself being gently restrained by Bucky whose face was flooded with relief.

"What the hell was that Stark?!" Steve let Bucky take care of Beth as he rounded on the playboy.

Tony backed up a step, well more a smidgen really, after all - it's not like he was _afraid_ of America's Golden Boy.

"She said she felt us coming yesterday. That told me she most likely used vibration waves to get that information and I have a vibration sonar that I built to keep pigeons from landing on the tower. It's built into the building itself. It's not designed to be felt by humans but it deters the pigeons nicely since the vibrations are at the speed equivalent to a jet engine at full blast. My guess is her powers tuned her into in to it and it knocked her senseless."

Tony gave an apologetic shrug in Beth's direction. "I didn't stop to think about that before you got here. I'll figure something else out for the pigeons while you're staying with Capsicle and Ice-pick, Nature Lady."

Beth let out a huff that could've been amusement. "It's Beth or Elisabeth. Not Nature Lady. And you are?" She looked at Bruce.

"Ah, I apologize for my lack of manners. I'm Dr. Bruce Banner. It's nice to meet you." Bruce extended his hand to shake hers and Beth was surprised into responding, automatically shaking his hand in return.

"Nice to meet you too Dr. Banner. I'm Elisabeth WhiteRaven."

Steve's eyes narrowed. So Stark's stalking had been accurate. Well that was a conversation they'd be having later but right now he needed to be along with Beth and Bucky.

Bucky seemed to understand his mood and picked Beth up in his arms, walking towards the elevator again.

"Wha- Where are we going?!" Beth's voice squeaked in surprise.

"We are going to have a chat. We'll be back later guys." Steve said, as he came and joined them all in the elevator.

As the doors shut, he saw the lewd gestures Tony was making towards them and rolled his eyes.

In a matter of seconds, the elevator was opening on the suite that the men shared.

Bucky didn't head for the living room and couch that Steve figured he'd go for. Instead, Bucky made a beeline for their bedroom.

Setting Beth on the California king-sized bed as gently as if she were a fabergé egg, he stepped back and waited for Steve.

Beth looked at both of them, confused.

"What's going on boys?"

Exchanging a glance with Steve, Bucky said with feeling, "We're not leaving here until we know just as much information about you as Stark. He's not going to get to know details even we don't know yet."

Beth sighed and patted the bed.

"Sit down then. This might take a bit dear hearts."

* * *

 **A/N: What do you all think? I'm trying to not rush this story even though it's rushing out of me. Please let me know if I'm rushing too much or jumping around too much. I hope you enjoyed!  
**


	3. Explanations

Beth scooted backwards onto the huge bed as Bucky and Steve sat down on either side of her. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them as she clasped her hands loosely around her legs.

"I don't know where to start." Her green eyes flitted between both men, looking for an indication what they were looking for exactly.

"Why don't you start with your name? Your last name is WhiteRaven? Is Elisabeth your first name? What's your middle-?" Steve's questions were cut off mid-sentence when Beth interrupted him.

"My full name is Makawee Elisabeth WhiteRaven. My first name was given to me by my grandmother after I began manifesting my power. It roughly translates to Earth Maiden in Lakota. I go by Elisabeth or Beth because it's easier to use since I don't like to explain my first name as it hints at what I can do."

Beth closed her eyes.

"I have been alone for a very long time. I have never shared most of what I'm about to tell you both with anyone."

Bucky ran a hand down her back encouragingly. "Doll, we just want to know you. You've learned about us from textbooks but we don't have one we can consult on all your details." His voice was gently teasing.

Beth opened her eyes and looked at Bucky, tears glinting in her green depths.

"I was born on a reservation in South Dakota in 1947."

"WHAT!?"

Bucky and Steve both burst out and then stopped as Beth held up a hand.

"Yes, 1947. Yes, I realize that technically makes me 68. No, I don't know why I'm not aging normally. I'd attempted to research it over the years before I gave up and went into isolation 15 years ago. My grandmother was the one who might've helped me understand but she was taken from me before she could... I never got to finish my training with her."

Tears were streaming down Beth's face as she spoke. She kept wiping them away, as if angry at herself for crying.

"My parents thought I was an abomination. They didn't know what to do with a little girl with strange eyes that could move the earth. They wanted to commit me to the state mental institution but my grandmother learned what they planned to do and took me off the reservation before they could. My grandfather had the same gift she said and she couldn't let his legacy wither and die away in a horrific place like the Yankton State Hospital."

Steve sat back on the bed, closer to Beth's side. His hands came up and pulled Beth into a side-hug, letting Bucky do the same on her other side.

"No one's going to ever lock you up, Beth." Steve's voice was velvet coated steel.

She sniffed and accepted the handkerchief that Steve fished out of his pocket with a watery smile.

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to doll." The concern in Bucky's voice had Beth pulling back from their embrace and looking directly at both men for a long moment.

"No. You both deserve to know. Besides, Tony probably already has tape of the incident in 1990 that caused me to go into hiding." Beth wiped at her face, calmer now but grim.

"After I lost my grandmother, I took odd jobs where I could. I tried not to stay in one place too long. Grandmother said that people would always notice my oddness and it was better to try and remain in a town for as little as possible. I was in a small mining town in West Virginia when I realized I'd gotten lax. I'd been living there for almost 2 years. It was the longest I'd ever stayed in one place. I was the secretary for the local mining company. It was a good job and I actually managed to convince myself I might be able to stay put for awhile."

Beth looked up from her hands and at both men.

"There was an explosion in the mine. Gas had built up and something caused it to ignite. I could feel the rumbling in the earth before anyone else. I ran out of the building by the time others could feel the shaking from the explosion. The puff of black smoke from the mine shaft had people running and screaming towards the entrance. I knew I could help but I just kept remembering my grandmother's warning to never show anyone what I could do. It felt like I stood there forever but hearing my coworkers scream again, snapped something inside me. I-I came up to the elevator and made an opening fifty feet away, directly above where the miners were."

She stopped and swallowed hard.

"You know that trick I used to stop you boys in the woods yesterday?"

They nodded.

"Well, I did something similar. I made the earth under their feet dissolve and reform around their legs so they couldn't fall and then raised them up, one by one through the hole I'd made. I was concentrating so hard on making sure the mine shaft was structurally sound through the earth while I brought them all up, I didn't realize until the last miner came up how many people were watching me."

"No one said a word to me. Some women came up and hugged me but there were many others who stood back and flinched when I looked at them. I knew I'd have to leave then but I wanted to prepare. I gave notice that'd I'd be leaving in two weeks when I passed my employer in the crowd and he just nodded his agreement. I had no idea that someone in the crowd had grabbed a video camera and had recorded what I'd done. I don't know how it got to the government but two days before I was going to leave, 4 black SUVs rolled into town. I knew they were from the government, uniformity in suits, you know. There's nothing quite like it."

Beth clenched her jaw for a moment before continuing on. Steve could feel the anger pulsing through her and saw her knuckles turn white from gripping her hands together so tightly.

"They didn't approach me until night had fallen. I was back at my tiny rental, packing what little I had, readying to leave the next day after work was over. I could feel them all pull up outside and surround the house. I knew they were there for me and I'd probably end up locked up unless I did what they wanted. I heard one of them yell for me to come out with my hands up. I walked outside, not stopping to put shoes on, with my hands in the air. As the bright lights of their guns moved closer, I was gripped by an all consuming need to escape- to get away from the danger they represented- and then suddenly I was gone. One minute I was in front of my house with guns trained on me and the next I was at my cabin in the woods. I had no idea how I'd managed it. I knew I couldn't go back to a city or town for several years. I'd have to wait until the government thought I was dead before I could safely leave again. So I didn't, not until you two showed up."

Beth finished her story and watched Steve and Bucky for their reactions.

A muscle in Steve's jaw was pulsing as he held her tightly to his side. Bucky's mechanical arm was whirring and clicking as it calibrated itself.

Finally, Steve spoke. "You have nothing to fear here with us. SHIELD has fallen and Bucky and I will protect you from anyone or anything that tries to harm you."

Beth smiled. "I know that dear heart. I wouldn't have come with you if I though otherwise."

Bucky sat silent and thinking for a moment longer. "So did you ever figure out what had happened that made you teleport to the cabin? Is that the cabin we found you at yesterday?"

Beth leaned into his arms, causing Steve to lean forward as well, wrapping all of them into a giant three-way hug. Pulling back, she nodded at Bucky.

"Yes, that was the same cabin. It took me some experimenting but I finally figured out if I am barefoot and _think_ about where I want to go, the earth takes me there. It has to be a place I've been or seen in pictures. I actually started calling it 'terra-porting' since I'm basically traveling through the earth."

She chuckled and pulled both men back until they were all laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"That's the big stuff from my past you should know. I'm guessing Tony found my file from the government file dump that happened last year when SHIELD fell. You could probably read that if you're really curious. What other stuff do you wanna know?"

Bucky propped himself up on an elbow, looking down at the small, dark woman in his bed. "Have you ever had sex before?"

"Bucky!" Steve shot up into a sitting position and turned towards his lover. "That's not an appropriate question to ask!"

Beth looked up at Bucky and answered honestly. "No, I have not. I'd never kissed anyone until you either. What about you? Have you ever had sex with someone who isn't Steve?"

Steve's jaw dropped. "Beth!"

The woman in question began to giggle at the shock in Steve's voice and covered her mouth with her hands.

Bucky began to laugh as he saw Steve's face flush a bright red.

"Oh, the Punk here hasn't been with anyone but me and I haven't been with anyone but him. That's not to say I haven't kissed my fair share of dames lookin' for you." Bucky winked at Beth as Steve punched him in the shoulder.

"Buck! We agreed to take it slow!" Steve shot a glare at Bucky.

"No, punk, you suggested and I ignored." Bucky grinned across Beth's form at Steve's aghast expression.

"Stevie here hasn't ever kissed anyone but me and I think he's nervous about it." Bucky loudly whispered to Beth.

Beth could hear the hint beneath the words and she turned towards Steve, her intent plain.

Steve held his hands up. "Whoa, we - I - what about getting to know you? I still don't know what your favorite color is and what you like to do for fun and-"

His rapid-fire stream of words was cut off abruptly as Beth rose, closed the distance between them and their lips met.

Steve's eyes closed automatically and he felt Beth's hands creep up into his hair and pull him closer.

 _Fireworks. Honey flavored fireworks._ Beth had thought kissing Bucky was amazing but kissing Steve was just as good. She let out a sigh and let Steve's tongue in to meet her own. Tugging slightly on Steve's hair, she leaned back and was rewarded with his hands coming around her and lowering them both to the bed.

Steve let his hands wander like they had that morning and he found that she arched towards him when he ran his hands over her breasts. He smiled inwardly as he felt Bucky move in next to him and he shifted to give the other man room.

Beth felt a pair of hands run down her legs and she couldn't help the shiver that accompanied them.

Steve was kissing her senseless and Bucky's hands seemed to be everywhere, or were they Steve's? She struggled to come up for air and take stock of the situation but the assault from Steve's mouth was relentless.

Bucky chuckled to himself. The slightest touch of his hands set Beth writhing and arching beneath Steve and he could tell Steve's cock was straining at the encasement of the suit he still wore. Pulling back, he considered for a moment.

He tapped Steve's bicep and, once he made eye contact, told Steve without words what he wanted. Steve acknowledged him and slowly stopped the lovely make out session that had caused him to forget the time.

Beth opened her eyes at the censure of contact from Steve and Bucky and she felt a rush of heat flood her face as she realized the sight she must've presented.

Bucky smiled and held out a hand to Beth, helping her to sit up.

"Darling, that was a fantastic first kiss but I think we all know that your first time needs to be special and agreed upon ahead of time so there are no misread signals." Steve pulled her gaze from Bucky and he bent down to place one last kiss on her lips.

"If you'd kept going, the Punk here would've been hard pressed to stop. We need to get out of these monkey suits anyways. If you want to unpack here, there's already a third of the closet space that's free." Bucky hefted her small bag unto the bed beside her as he stood.

"If you don't want to stay here in the bed with us, we can ask Stark for another room or-" Steve's words were once again cut off by a kiss.

"I want to stay. I want this. I want us. I would still be in Canada if I didn't." Speaking her commitment aloud brought a rush of adrenaline coursing through Beth but she continued on. "I want to be with you both. I wasn't sure until now that I'd be attracted to either of you but now that I know it's a mutual attraction... I want this, please."

Beth gestured to the obviously tented pants of both men as she spoke. She saw another silent conversation fly between them.

"Oh, would you stop that already! I don't know either of you well enough yet to decipher those looks but I can tell you I look forward to the day I can! Just tell me what you're thinking."

Bucky looked slightly abashed. He wasn't used to people calling him and Steve out for that, though he knew it annoyed all of the other Avengers - Tony in particular.

"Sorry doll. It's just, are you talking about having sex, right here and now? We would both be up for that but we do have to debrief the rest of the Avengers on finding you and well, we don't have the time to do you justice."

Beth's eyes widened. "Why do you need to debrief everyone else? Isn't this a personal thing, you finding me?"

Steve rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and looked a tad apprehensive. "Well, you know that we're in the public eye... The fact we've found you is going to cause quite a stir in the tabloids just like it did when we brought Bucky in and they found out he and I were soulmates. There are going to be people who want to know all about you and we're going to need to know how to handle it as a team. Also, I do agree with Bucky in that we wouldn't be able to give you the best experience possible. Tonight is the better option I think."

Beth pursed her lips and her brows drew together. "Okay, I don't like it but I have a feeling that there are going to be some aspects of you two being superheroes that I'm not going to like either and there's not a whole lot I can do about them."

"Now, James, you said something about getting out of those suits? Can I help with that at least?" Beth grinned and rose from the bed. Coming to stand in front of Steve, she ran a hand down his chest, feeling his quick intake of breath.

Hearing a thump on the floor, she looked over her shoulder to see Bucky sitting on the bed, pulling his boots off.

Steve turned and gestured to the zipper at the top of his neck. Slowly, Beth pulled the zipper down, kissing the skin she could reach once it was low enough. Stopping, she let Steve turn around and kiss her again, reminding her of what she had to look forward to later that day.

Bucky had already pulled off his shirt and was throwing it into a laundry basket in the corner of the room when he felt small arms encircle his waist in a hug. Pivoting in Beth's arms, he felt her jolt at the skin on skin contact.

She stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss like the one Steve had given her, full of promise and affection.

Beth finally pulled back and sighed ruefully.

"I'll be in the living room when you're both changed. I don't know if I can keep my hands off you if I stay any longer." Steve was in the process of pealing his suit off and she'd gotten another eyeful of abs from him.

Exiting the room, she entered the main portion of the apartment. The view from the living room was amazing. She'd never been to New York before and had only seen pictures in her history book.

Beth walked to the window and looked out at all the buildings and cars below. Wondering if her terra-porting would work several stories off the ground, she filed that away to try out later when she heard the boys come into the living room.

Both men had changed into what they thought of as casual, which for Steve meant a tight-fitting red t-shirt and jeans but Bucky looked almost unchanged. He had on a white t-shirt but instead of leather pants, he had black, cargo pants.

Beth thought they both still looked good enough to eat.

"Ready to face the music?" Steve offered her his arm as he approached and she took it, tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"I guess now's as good a time as any. Will it just be Tony or will Natasha be there also?" Curiosity was plain as they all headed to the elevator again.

Stepping inside, Bucky put an arm around Beth's shoulders and kissed her forehead. "It'll be the whole crew I imagine. It was the same kind of gauntlet when Steve brought me back. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions."

The elevator began to move of it's own volition. "Does it always do that?"

"What? Oh, you mean move on it's own? Yeah, JARVIS runs it. That's Tony's AI-slash-assistant that runs the entire building. He monitors all audio/video in the building so he knew we needed to go see the rest of the team. We've got tighter privacy settings in our apartment but if you need anything, all you have to do is say his name and he'll be able to get it to you." Steve was rather pleased he'd managed to remember all of the detail that Tony had dumped on him the first time he'd asked about JARVIS but he could tell from the smirk on Bucky's face that the other man found his pride funny.

The elevator doors slid open into a large room with several couches situated in clusters around the room, some around TVs, others around a gaming console. Large green plants also dotted the space, as if someone had tried to bring the outside in.

Beth smiled and reflexively reached out and touched the frond of a potted palm. The other people in the room had glanced over as the trio came in and so all eyes were on Beth as she touched the palm. The plant's frond seemed to move closer to the small woman and it seemed to Bruce and Tony that the plant perked up, became greener and more healthy-looking.

As the new arrivals moved around a loveseat into the main seating area, Natasha stood and moved to sit between Bruce and Clint. There wasn't quite enough space for her which meant the men had to shift slightly. Natasha smiled as she heard Dr. Banner's quick intake of breath as her ass grazed his arm and leg as she sat down. She knew the man was attracted to her but he was dancing around it like an amateur snake charmer who had a snake on the loose.

Seeing the large couch was vacant, the two super soldiers sat down, keeping their soulmate between them. Nat smiled inwardly to see them instinctively protecting the small woman even though there was nothing to be done about the verbal bombardment she was going to be on the receiving end of in a matter of moments.

Tony gestured and Pepper stood and began introducing everyone in the room to Beth like a counselor at a summer camp. Everyone was accounted for except for Thor who was off world at the moment.

Once Pepper had finished, Beth took a breath. "Can I just say something before the interrogation starts?"

Pepper jerked and turned towards Beth. "This isn't an interrogation. We're just here to get to know you and figure out how you'll be integrated into the team."

Steve started to protest this last when Tony stood and took over.

"Cool it Cap. I saw what she could do in the woods. That shit's useful. Especially in an area we've never been before. I'm not sayin' we'll toss her in right away but I definitely want to know what all she can do and-" Tony stopped, elbowed in the side by an annoyed Pepper.

"Wha- Oh! Yeah, that's if she even wants to be involved. I defer to Pep on all things womanly and she seems to think it has to be Natur- Beth's decision one way or another." Another elbow from Pepper had Tony remembering to use Beth's actual name before he stepped in it again. "Even if she doesn't want to be active in the field, having her scout out locations beforehand or alter any difficult terrain could come it quite handy. What d'ya think Bethie?"

Beth had sat in silence, listening to Tony and Pepper speak, and cleared her throat. "First off, it's Beth or Elisabeth _Starkie_. Don't make me tell you that again. Second, I don't know about joining the Avengers. I just met you all. That's not to say the offer doesn't intrigue me because it does. I haven't really experimented with what I can do since my grandmother died. Anything I learned between then and now has been entirely by accident. Experimenting with my powers in a controlled way that wouldn't cause any harm... I'd like that."

Bruce cleared his throat nervously, every inch of his body aware of the sensual assassin next to him. "I'd like to also work with you in regards to your vibration sensitivity. Natasha said that you'd had a problem on the quinjet. I have a hypothesis that it had to do with you being so attuned to vibrations since Tony's 'pigeon sonar' took you out so quickly." Bruce snorted as he said 'pigeon sonar'.

"I'd be open to that Dr. Banner. Thank you for your help earlier. _Some people_ ushered me out before I could properly say thanks." Beth smacked Bucky playfully in the arm.

"Ouch! Careful there doll. You don't want to damage the goods now." Bucky's teasing tone had eyebrows raising among all of those present except for Steve and Beth. The rest of the team had hardly ever heard him speak outside of quiet conversations with Steve and terse phrases over comms during missions.

Clint leaned towards Natasha and Bruce and muttered, "Well she's certainly brought _him_ out of hibernation." Tasha flashed a grin at her best friend.

"Well, now that that's concluded. Time for the tour!" Tony threw his arms up and proclaimed, purely to bring the attention back to himself.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Alright Stark. Tour then food. We left this morning before we ate and I'm positively starving." This last he said looking at Beth and Pepper found it odd that the other woman seemed to flush a warm mocha color, as if in embarrassment.

"I agree Steve. I'm famished." Bucky's words were calmly spoken but Pepper noted the way his hand slid down Beth's arm to rest on her thigh and how that thigh seemed to tremble under its weight.

 _"Mm hmm. Definitely going to be an interesting addition to the tower,_ " Pepper thought to herself.

* * *

 **A/N: I couldn't find a good place to break this up without the chapter seeming too short or too long but I've got the next bit written so I should have it posted soon. Let me know what you think. As always, enjoy!  
**


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